A strong ITS research program and its corresponding supporting laboratory are indispensable resources for high-quality training of ITS professionals and solving traffic problems in the Puget Sound region. Following Dr. Yinhai Wang’s proposal in June 2003, the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) in the College of Engineering at the University of Washington (UW) and Transportation Northwest (TransNow), USDOT University Center for Federal Region 10, decided to establish a laboratory for Smart Transportation Applications and Research (STAR) to enhance the strength of ITS research and education at the University of Washington. Major objectives of the STAR Lab are: support advanced ITS research; cultivate ITS professionals; explore effective solutions to transportation problems; provide hand-on training instruments and software applications for students in ITS classes; and construct a bridge between the UW and agencies of transportation practice.

The STAR Lab is located at More Hall 112A on the Seattle campus of the UW. Since September 2003, Dr. Wang has presented the STAR Lab plan to many government agencies and gained broad support for the Lab. For example, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has decided to make the STAR Lab a remote training center and will provide live traffic data and traffic operation software for research and training activities in the STAR Lab. Leading companies in the ITS field also provided great support to the STAR Lab. For more information about sponsors of the STAR Lab, please visit our Sponsor Page.

For further information about the STAR Lab, please contact Dr. Yinhai Wang:
Tel: 206-616-2696
Fax: 206-543-5965
Email: yinhai@u.washington.edu